What's new
DPR Forum

Welcome to the Friendly Aisles!
DPRF is a spin-off of dpreview. We are a photography forum with people from all over the world freely sharing their knowledge and love of photography. Everybody is welcome, from beginners to the experienced professional. From smartphone to Medium Format.

DPRF is a community for everybody, every brand and every sensor format. Digital and film.
Enjoy this modern, easy to use software. Look also at our Reviews & Gallery!

If leica can contax can as well

Hi Marco,

I'd like to try one of those - the leica and voigtlander lenses are little crackers. But I'm not sure how big the sensor will be.

If we're waiting till 2005, then I think Contax will have something out by then. My money is on an announcement at Photokina.

It'll be interesting to see if anything is launched next week at the Focus-On-Imaging show over here in the UK.

Fingers crossed!!

Cheers, Saras
 
Hi Saras

If they have anything for Focus .... they are keeping it absolutely top-secret! Even my spy-in-the-c& has come up empty.

Looks like it'll be just the SL400R, the Finecam M400R and Finecam M410R they previewed at PMA last week, if they have got them from Japan in time. You'll have to view the usual sources for mentions of the M400R and M410R, Webmaster thought I was advertising and cut my message about them in another thread, last week!
sad.gif


Cheers, Kyocera Kid.
 
Bob,

Somehow, I suspect you are right - there probably isn't anything coming out. Still, I can grill the guys on the stand about their future plans.

What would be really depressing is if the other stands have really nice things - the M400R and the M410R hasn't really got me wild and excited!!

Oh well, never mind, I still love Contax.

Cheers, Saras
 
Had another look at these Cosina/Epson/Voigtlander digitals and I ask myself "do the Japanese have the equivalent of an April Fool's Day"? A film advance lever on a digital???? The dial on the top looks like a crib off the instrument dials on my wife's Lexus IS200. I suspect they are just publicity mock ups to see if there would be any interest. I also looked at the computer generated image of a possible digital M - I don't think so. What is the point of making a small rangefinder into something bigger than most digital SLR's without the advantages of an SLR. A digital rangefinder must be close to the same size envelope as the original if it is to be successful.Wilson
 
I would respectfully disagree with Mr. Laidlaw.

1. I read somewhere that the advance lever is used to cock the shutter. Not too much of an unwelcome 'feature' for an audience that shuns autowinders.

2. I kinda like the analog dials on the top panel. Not sure what they're for, although the notation says "meter." As it seems to be a multi-function analog dial system, perhaps battery charge, light metering, and exposure counting are done here? Whatever. It's surely not going to be the most 'accurate' way to view any manner of quantity data, but it lends some character.

3. I don't believe the size of a Leica-M digital is required to be smaller than an SLR. Leica-M users will welcome the opportunity to use the lens lines they already own. As well, they're already convinced those lenses are superior to other brands, so unless the M-digital is unmanageably large, that won't be too much of a detriment. As well, Leica folks sometimes attach manual winding mechanisms or motor winders to the bottoms of their Ms, and a digital module shouldn't be too much taller.

4. I don't disagree that the model in the case is probably intended to garner interest and judge demand. Epson, Cosina, and Leica are probably all monitoring the various boards to see if there is a market, and at what price. [Note that i didn't include Contax/Kyocera in that list. I don't know WHAT if ANYTHING they've been 'monitoring' lately.]
 
Saras, I think you may have missed the point of the Leica mock-up.

It is representing a modular digital accessory back for the M.
In other words, a film OR digital camera at the whim of the owner, even using the camera they own right now. This is a fairly likely prospect given that the R digital is being built that way. Leica has said the R has priority, but the M digital solution is drawing from that experience to hurry it along. Leica has also gone on record as saying the M digital will be 10 Meg or larger to bring it to image quality expectations of Leica shooters.
 
Marc,
Where have you seen a Leica mock-up of a digital M? I've only seen a photoshopped M-digital 'illustration' by a person who just likes to speculate on such things.

Do you have a link?

Thanks....
 
Marc,

On reflection, you are probably right. It's quite a neat idea really - and given the way you change the film on the M's - it would be quite a quick thing to use different backs.

Still, whilst it is all speculation, it does keep Leica in the public eye. I wonder if anyone has done a mock-up of a Digital G3... :)

Cheers, Saras
 
Sorry Derek, I was referring to that speculative Photo-Shopped image as not being that far fetched in terms of configuration.

Given that Leica has linked the development of their R digital solution to the newly announced M Digital that's coming. The R is a modular design that allows current R8 & R9s to be converted to digital and then back again at will. I believe Nikon is close to announcing a F solution that is similar.

Another piece of news linked to the Leica venture with Kodak and Imagon was the announcement that Kodak had used their new micro lens technology to correct the ills of the full frame 14 meg 14n. This MAY mean that the new Leica R module and the M Digital could be full frame @ 10 megs or greater.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top